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LE MANS, France - Authorities here are expecting a potential record crowd - possibly approaching 300,000 people - for the start Saturday of the 82nd running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race.

'They announced a crowd of 255,000 here last year, and they expect to beat that significantly this year; I expect them to be close to 300,000 this year,' John Hindhaugh, a radio announcer for Le Mans, said in an interview Thursday. 'We put a pop-up hotel in the infield this year, with 200 rooms, and they were all sold out by December. Up to 85,000 people will be coming to the race from England alone.'

Large contingents of spectators are also expected from Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Scandinavia, the United States, Japan and, of course, France.

National Geographic lists the Le Mans 24-hour endurance race, which has been going on since 1923, at No. 1 on its list of the world's top 10 sporting events.

'Le Mans is fantastic, spectacular - like nothing else I've ever seen or felt,' Allan McNish, a driver who retired last year after winning the race for a third time, said in an interview here Thursday. 'It's the most daunting place I've ever driven.'

The appeal of speed, skill and stamina seems to provide an increasingly irresistible lure for racing fans.

'This year, it is possibly the most important race here in a generation,' Hindhaugh said. He cited a three-way battle between the Audi, Toyota and Porsche factory teams as a special draw.

'This race has become more relevant, thanks to Audi,' Hindhaugh added, 'because they've made it relevant.'

Over the last 15 years, the implementation of innovations such as turbocharged diesel engines, modular drivetrain components, regenerative hybrid electric systems and advanced lighting have added new technology to be tested on the endurance circuit.

'The technologies they have introduced at Le Mans have gone directly into their road cars,' Hindhaugh said. 'A guy who looks at an Audi Le Mans racer can truly say, 'What's in that is what is in my A6,' or whatever Audi he might drive. The R8 road car is a direct descendant of the Le Mans R8s.'

And it is not just Audi that brings racing technology to road cars. Things like windshield wipers, disc brakes, even tire sizes, compounds and treads have been perfected at Le Mans.

This year, organizers have felt compelled to alter the rules in an effort to neutralize Audi's hegemony, which is going for its 13th victory in the last 15 years. The fuel allotment for Audi's diesel hybrids has been cut significantly vis-à-vis their gasoline-powered rivals from Toyota and Porsche.

'They are being expected to maintain efficiency, power and reliability, while making do with 25 percent less fuel,' Hindhaugh said. 'Despite that, I expect them to have higher top speeds, faster lap times and to break their race distance records.'

Still, the Audi teams seem to be running closer to the ragged edge of control to try and keep up. While Toyota has won both contests in the World Endurance Championship leading up to Le Mans, Audi has destroyed two cars. A third, driven by Loïc Duval, one of McNish's teammates on last year's winning car, was added to the Audi junkyard Wednesday when Duval lost control and flipped his car into a concrete barrier. A backup chassis was permitted to replace it and was rebuilt overnight, but Duval was ruled medically unfit to compete. That leaves only Tom Kristensen, who has won this event as a co-driver a record nine times, in competition from last year's winning entry.

'All three of them have got something to prove,' McNish said, referring to Audi, Porsche and Toyota. 'The Le Mans trophy is the one that is missing from Toyota's cabinet. Porsche is not subtle about their desire to win this race and show up Audi; signing driver Mark Webber away from the Red Bull Formula One team is an indication of that. And Audi wants to prove that at Le Mans it is still at home.'

Other marques represented include Chevrolet, Aston Martin, Nissan and Ferrari.

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